Why should a Patient Consider Dental Implants?

Dental implants are an ideal option for people with generally good oral health who have lost one or more of their teeth due to disease or injury. Candidates for dental implants need to have healthy gums and adequate bone to support the implant.

Dental implants are actually more tooth-saving than traditional bridgework, because they are able to replace teeth without the preparation of adjacent teeth. In a bridge, the teeth surrounding the site of the missing teeth must be shaved down and fitted with crowns. In addition, because dental implants have direct support unlike a bridge, the implant can absorb some of the pressure that a bridge would add to the adjacent teeth.

Also, if a person is missing teeth on either side of the affected tooth, the person should consider dental implants instead of bridgework. It’s a good idea to replace the missing tooth or teeth with a dental implant for both cosmetic and functional reasons.

In a world where time is in short supply, it’s important to know how much time must be invested in activities. This is also the case for surgical procedures where one needs to know how long the procedure will take, as well as how long it will take to recover and fully heal from the procedure. Patients who get dental implants have the same concerns. Therefore, a patient might consider how long it takes to finish a dental implant.

Dental implants need about six months to fully integrate with the patient’s jaw. Typically, it is not until this point, where the implant has fully integrated to the jaw, that the final crown can be placed.

Doctors recommend, and do wait this long length of time because the time allows the jaw and the implant to integrate, making it strong enough to support a crown. If this time is not given, premature loading can place too much force on the implant and can contribute to failure.

Therefore, one should anticipate, when thinking about getting dental implants that they will need about six months to completely recover from the procedure before further work can be done on the teeth.